Saint. Nicholas, Sviatyij Mykolai, comes to Ukraine on December 19th in the Orthodox Julian calendar. The night is often called "Magic Night" or just St. Nicholas Day. It is seen as a universal children's festival.
It is a happy day with visiting and sleigh rides. Schools have plays telling Nicholas stories and the saint visits local churches. Dressed as a Byzantine bishop, the good saint is often accompanied by angels. He quizzes children on their catechism before giving gifts.
St. Nicholas Day is the main day for gift-giving, though gifts are also becoming associated with Christmas Day. Today many Ukrainian churches have St. Nicholas celebrations to help children understand that the holy man Nicholas came long before Santa Claus.
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